


Worth it

by marmolita



Series: Arrangements [4]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s02e02 The Intruder, Episode: s02e06 Trinity, F/M, mentions of previous john/elizabeth/rodney
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 09:44:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6279574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marmolita/pseuds/marmolita
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This feels like home though -- arguing with Rodney, going over reports with Elizabeth.  He can't help thinking about that night the three of them spent together, after the siege, overtired and amped up and crazy with it.  It's too risky to try anything on the Daedalus, but that doesn't mean he can't want it anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth it

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during The Intruder and after Trinity. As usual, thanks to [misswonderheart](http://misswonderheart.tumblr.com) for being my forever friend in fic writing.

John doesn't see much of his friends from Atlantis when they're on Earth. After the initial group debriefings, he's separated from the civilians and put through a series of painful interrogations by his military superiors. It's a mix of dressing-downs and praise, and each time another Colonel or General comes into the room he's got to guess which one it's going to be.

Finally, after another week, he has a meeting with General O'Neill. When it becomes clear that O'Neill's not going to move on from small talk without a push, John asks, "So, who are you going to bring in to be Sumner's replacement? Caldwell?"

"Well, Sheppard, there have been some bumps along the way, but you've managed to keep everyone alive. Still, you know of course that it's not appropriate to have a Major in charge of Atlantis." He nods, suddenly nervous that they're not only going to bring in someone new as his boss, but that maybe they won't let him stay on Atlantis at all. O'Neill grins suddenly, then stands up and holds out his hand. "Congratulations, _Lieutenant Colonel_ Sheppard."

John opens and closes his mouth a few times in disbelief, then stands up and takes the General's hand. "Th-- Thank you, sir," he says, blinking back the sudden prickle of moisture in his eyes.

"Better get to work on your staffing plan," O'Neill says, "before someone else decides to make the assignments for you."

***

The promotion ceremony is a couple days later, in a small meeting room at Stargate Command. Elizabeth is there, of course, smiling so wide John's afraid her face might get stuck that way, and Carson, and even Rodney made the time to emerge from his lab. It's a little embarrassing to be the center of attention, but he can't help feeling proud of himself. After the incident in Afghanistan, he didn't think he'd ever get promoted again, and it feels good to be back on his game. He stands tall in his dress uniform as General Landry pins on the silver oak leaf, shakes the General's hand, and then slides into an easy grin as his friends congratulate him.

If he maybe lets his hand linger a little when Elizabeth shakes it, or bumps her with his shoulder and stands a little too close, well, nobody really notices. He feels like on a day like this he can maybe take a few liberties.

***

John doesn't actually see much of Elizabeth after his promotion ceremony. She's closeted in meetings and disappears right after work, turns down his offers to meet up for lunch, and seems withdrawn and distant. When they get aboard the Daedalus it's a relief to have things be more or less back to normal. He'd thought that Earth would be "normal," but it turns out he's gotten so used to Atlantis that Earth doesn't really feel like home anymore.

This feels like home though -- arguing with Rodney, going over reports with Elizabeth. He can't help thinking about that night the three of them spent together, after the siege, overtired and amped up and crazy with it. It's too risky to try anything on the Daedalus, but that doesn't mean he can't want it anyway.

Then, one night, he tells her that there were a lot of people who thought he'd never make it past Captain, and she says, "Well, obviously the people whose opinions matter the most thought otherwise," with a lift of her eyebrows, and his stomach drops out from under him.

For the past month John thought that he'd earned that promotion on the basis of his achievements alone, and now finding out that Elizabeth was behind it he feels suddenly angry and disappointed. He wonders how many strings she had to pull to do it. He wonders how many people think she did it because they're sleeping together. He hates the fact that they're possibly not entirely wrong.

But then, as usual, a crisis intervenes, and he's too busy trying not to fly himself and Rodney into the sun to worry about anything else.

***

It's a couple of weeks after Rodney destroys five sixths of a solar system that Elizabeth shows up at his door late at night. "Something wrong?" he asks her, stepping back to let her in. She looks . . . hesitant, like she's got something to say that she thinks he's not going to like.

"You remember that time, after the hive ships, when you and me and Rodney . . . ?" She glances at him, then looks down at her hands. Something twists in John's gut, not entirely unpleasantly.

"How could I forget?" he asks cheekily, as if he's not a little afraid of what she's going to say next. A quick smile flashes across her face.

"Rodney and I, we . . . had an arrangement." Yeah, he remembers that too. They hadn't given him any specifics but it was pretty clear that the two of them had some kind of friends-with-benefits thing going on.

"Had?"

"Yes, well, I'm sure this will come as a complete shock to you, but we're not exactly on good terms right now."

"Hm, yeah, never would have guessed that," he drawls. "Elizabeth . . . why are you telling me this?"

She clears her throat and squares her shoulders, like she does before going into a diplomatic negotiation. It would be funny if he wasn't already sure of what she's going to say, and completely unsure of how he's going to reply. "Actually, it's been a bit of a dry spell because of this, and since things worked out so well that one time, I was wondering if maybe you would be interested." She watches him carefully, expression guarded.

"Did I get promoted because you want to sleep with me?" The words tumble out with no forethought, and he regrets them as soon as he says them. Elizabeth is taken aback, eyes wide, and her mouth open and closes with no sound.

"Is that what you think?" she finally asks. He shrugs.

"It's what everyone else thinks." John crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against the wall. "Okay, that's not entirely true, they think I got promoted because we _are_ sleeping together."

"You can't seriously believe that."

"Well I know it wasn't because the Air Force was so impressed with my work that they decided to just forget about all the other shit on my record. You pretty much told me it was because you pulled strings." He tries to keep his voice light, like this isn't really a big deal to him, but he's not doing a very good job of it. The emotion is thick in his throat; on the one hand, this has been gnawing at him for months. On the other hand, she came here for sex, and god help him he does want her, and this is not the way to get her.

"John," she says, stepping forward, "you got promoted because you are the best man for the job. All I did was provide a _glowing_ recommendation and tell them if they thought a Major wasn't a high enough ranked officer to lead Atlantis then they had to promote you. They could have fought it. They could have made me pull strings. They didn't, because there is _no one_ more experienced and more qualified for this job than you." Colonel Caldwell might disagree with that, John thinks, but he can't help feeling a little more relaxed, and maybe a little flattered that she thinks so highly of him.

"You're not just saying that to get in my pants, are you?" It's a joke, and it works; she laughs and grins at him, and he smiles back.

"If I was, would it be working?" There's a mischievous twinkle in her eye that sends tingles straight to his groin. She's gorgeous, and he thinks he'll never not want her.

"I guess if they all think we're sleeping together already, we might as well get some benefit out of it," he suggests, uncrossing his arms and reaching for her. She meets him halfway, smiling as she kisses him. He's not sure what the details are of the arrangement she's offering him, but even if it's just this one night, he thinks, it's worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> I've got the next installment of this series partially written, and the rest of the series mapped out, but season two of Daredevil is coming out tomorrow so it's pretty likely it'll be a while before I get back to this and write the rest of them. Fair warning! :)


End file.
